Early this year there was great concern about the possible biggest pandemic to hit these shores for decades.

Some firms went into overdrive to create detailed
contingency plans. And these plans will stand them in good stead for the future, as long as they remember where they are and have recently briefed staff on what is required of them.

Other employers, particularly our smaller clients, went out and bought anti bacterial hand washes and boxes of tissues. Largely they were simply hoping for the best.

Well, so far the pandemic has failed to materialise on the expected scale. Many organisations have pushed the risk of a swine flu pandemic onto the back burner.

But don’t be deceived. There are rustlings afoot that seem to suggest swine flu could be mutating into something more serious. We have heard mutterings from some very senior health sources that the real testing time will come when the children go back to school after the Christmas break. The bugs will have had a chance to intermingle to possibly produce a more serious form of flu.

We hope we are not scaremongering, but do dust down the contingency plans. Home working, remote working and flexible working all have a part to play in ensuring you can keep your business ticking over for a few weeks with a reduced workforce. There may also be a much reduced public transport service which could make it very difficult for those that are fit to get to work.

With good luck and possibly some good cold weather, we may just ensure the bugs are killed off and don’t get a chance to mutate. However, my Finnish friend reckons it has to be – 20 at least for that to happen.

So even though it is chilly now, it may not be sufficient to prevent either a swine flu or seasonal flu outbreak in the New Year. Businesses that come out of this the best, will be those that prepare for the worst.

Tags: absence policy, sickness absence
Posted by Elspeth Watt
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